Dorrell was often deployed in the media as a spokesman for the Major government, as it was felt he conveyed an air of approachability and popular appeal. During party conference season in the late nineties he was followed by a camera crew from the BBC's Breakfast show, capturing the behind-the-scenes build-up to his conference speech. The actual speech was also shown, including his joke (at the height of tensions in the Conservative party over Europe) that he considered himself a 'bureausceptic'. Unfortunately the joke, a reference to trying to reduce the level of red tape in the Health Service fell on deaf ears.

When constituency boundaries were revised for the 1997 election, he moved with his key rural voters into the new Charnwood Constituency. He won the seat comfortably with a majority of 5,900, Loughborough itself being lost to Andy Reed of Labour.

In June 2010, Dorrell was elected Chairman of the Health Select Committee. In June 2011, following concerns over the unpopularity of Andrew Lansley's NHS reforms Dorrell was tipped as a possible successor but stated that he wanted to continue as the committee chairman for the full parliament.[3] An alternate view was that David Cameron would not want any more "Tory retreads" from previous governments.[3] Dorrell acknowledged that resources would become tighter but changes driven by new medicines and new expectations were inevitable and integration of health care and social care would be both better and more efficient.[3] Interviewed in 2012, Dorrell stated that the 4% per year for four years efficiency targets agreed before the 2010 election, "a huge challenge" were taking too long to achieve.[4] Whilst the bill had good points, e.g. involving clinicians and local authorities, more independence for public health etc. savings required a change in the way care is delivered not just changes in management structure.[4] The reforms were acting as a "disruption and distraction".[4] They were a secondary issue compared with the need to make efficiency savings of £20bn.[5] Dorrell resigned in June 2014 and was succeeded by Sarah Wollaston.[6]

In November 2012 Dorrell was reported to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority -IPSA after arranging to sell his London flat to “friends” who owned a chain of nursing homes -and then renting it back at £1400 a month, funded by the taxpayer. His impartiality was also questioned as the Health committee was investigating social care and some of the chain's nursing homes had been criticised by the Care Quality Commission. Committee members were not aware of the financial connection. David Cameron refused to get involved saying it was a matter for IPSA who said the rules banned renting from family members not friends.[7]

In November 2014, Dorrell surprised constituency colleagues by announcing he was standing down in order to take a job with KPMG. Andrew Bridgen also expressed surprise but said that the prestige of Parliament had fallen since the expenses scandal and a number of experienced MPs were leaving. Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan described him as a really important figure in Leicestershire but denied she would consider switching seats. Labour candidate Sean Kelly Walsh also paid tribute to his work for his constituents, as Health minister and chairman of the Health Affairs Select Committee.[8]

However in December, Dorrell was criticised for alleged conflict of interest when it became clear that he would be working both as a MP and KPMG consultant for six months until the election —-and that KPMG were considering bidding for a £1B NHS contract. Pointing out that Dorrell had previously admitted the two roles were incompatible, Dr Clive Peedell co-leader of the National Health Action party called for him to resign from one of the posts but Dorrell said were no issues raised as he wasn't seeking re-election.[9]
In January 2015, a group of six pensioners who called at Dorrell’s offices in Thurmaston to hand in a 2,286 signiture petition calling on him to resign, were told they were trespassing and the police would be called. Hanif Asmal, Chairman of Charnwood Conservative Association claimed police were called as the group didn’t have an appointment.[10]
According to the Daily Telegraph, Dorrell's extra-parliamentary work took up 1736 hours or 33.4 hours per week in 2014.[11]

Dorrell has been criticised for his actions when his family owned firm went into a prepack administration in 2009, a "controversial" but legal procedure which the Government’s Insolvency Service said was "mocking rules".[12] David Blake, director of the Cass Business School in London, believes the method is used to dump pension fund liabilities.[13] The controversy may have deterred David Cameron from inviting Dorrell to join the Front Bench.[12]

Dorrell was a director of clothing company, Faithful, a family business established in the 19th Century which made blue collarworkwear in Worcester.[14] According to the finance director,Steve Hall the company had been quite profitable until 2004 when it was split between Dorrell and his brother.[14] By 2005, after a number of unsuccessful acquisitions the company pensionsdeficit was almost £3m. The scheme was changed to money purchase and the factory site was pledged to support it.[14] However when the site was sold, some of the money was used to buy another business and the firm merged with stock market listed Wensom.[14] None of the money was paid into the scheme.[14] According to Dorrell, the pension now required 10% of the annual turnover making restructuring impossible.[14] An independent trustee was appointed and the pension fund received nothing though Wensum was able to continue in business.[14]

In May 2009 the company was put into a prepack administration which allowed a new company, GG125 to acquire Wensum's assets for £7.9m whilst leaving its debts unpaid.[15]
GG125 was subsequently renamed Wensum Group Limited.[15] The deal was completed in a day, Dorrell receiving a director salary (increased to £200,000 in September 2009) plus 15% share ownership in the new company.[14][16] As company contributions had ceased, the workers were put into the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) which caps the maximum payable and has limited protection against inflation.[14] Finance director Steve Hall expects to lose 30-40% of his pension because of the cap.[13] Both Dorrell and his wife had already withdrawn their pensions[14] but Dorrell claimed he had lost £550,000 because of the failure and that alternative to the prepack would have offered less.[12]

The prepack was also criticised as "completely immoral" and inappropriate for listed companies by a South African creditor LA group. They sold a clothing manufacturer to Wensum in May 2009 in exchange for Wensum shares which became worthless after the prepack.[15] Another Wensum shareholder compared the deal to a "spider eviscerating a fly it has caught, taking all the good bits, then dropping the useless carcass, which is the creditors, the shareholders, and of course the taxpayer."[12]